Tilman Riemenschneider is one of the foremost German Sculptors of the late Middle ages. His carving called Virgin and Child on the Crescent Moon is carved out of lime wood. He uses this wood because it carves easily and fits his style perfectly. I think this carving is cool because, like the book says, carving is more aggressive than modeling and more direct than casting. I like the idea of carving more than molding and casting. I think its cool to think this statue was once a larger piece of lime wood which he chipped away at and shaved off to make this awesome piece of work. The sculpture is of the virgin Mary and her baby Jesus. I think this sculpture is cool because 1.) Jesus is still a baby and he's naked. To me, the fact that he's a baby is clever because when you're a baby you're the most pure. There's nothing you could've thought or done to corrupt you or make you impure. Being a symbol of holiness and purity, this is probably one of the best ways to portray the two; even though Jesus was technically never corrupted or made impure ever. The park about him being naked i thought was cool too because man was born naked. In the bible, the first time man ever wore clothes was when they sinned; it's safe to say that clothes could be a sort of symbol of impurity and evil. The fact that Jesus is naked in a way shines more light on his purity and perfection. I also think it's cool because, like the book says, they both look like they could move at any time. Jesus is more animated than the virgin Mary because that's how babies are. But also, i think it was clever to make the baby more animated because it draws attention to the baby. The baby is smaller and so normally it would be the second thing you look at; but because Jesus was made to look so animated it draws the viewers attention. However, i would like to mention that one thing i don't like is that the Virgin Mary looks kind of unhappy.
David Smith is an artist known for assembling his pieces. Honestly, i don't know what to make of his work. I can't say i don't like it because i find it interesting... but i don't know what to look for in it. His work is pretty cool because it makes you kinda want to stop and look at it. His piece Cubi XII makes you think a lot about it. like what was the artist trying to do? what is this supposed to be? The coolest thing is that it might not even be anything. But it makes you wonder and ask questions which i think is kinda cool. I can't say that i'm a complete fan... but i can't say i'm not a fan either. The book says that the sculpture looks like an armload of packages about to tumble. When you look at it... who's to say it isn't? This piece is really just a mystery to me.
Both of these pieces are cool in the different ways they have meaning. the first piece is more of a religious piece that focuses on the purity and perfection of lord. The second, in a more mysterious way, draws your attention and makes you think. However, both pieces are similar in the sense that one makes you think about what it is or what the purpose of its existence is and the other makes you think about your beliefs. In the end, both pieces are pretty cool.
No comments:
Post a Comment